What to Wear in Egypt: Packing Tips for Female Travellers
Planning on what to wear in Egypt was not easy. In fact, after I got over the initial excitement of booking the trip, the proper dress code was something I spent a long time worrying about. I scoured the internet for helpful tips and advice, but to be honest it just left me even more confused. Some articles indicated I should cover up as much as possible and consider even getting a hijab or at least bring a scarf to cover my hair during my stay. Others said it wasn’t really a big deal, and I could wear pretty much whatever I wanted. In the end I took a more conservative approach and just hoped for the best.
Thankfully, I chose wisely, but not everyone else did. While I wasn’t as covered up as the local women, I was significantly more modest than a few other tourists I came across along the way. Tiny jean shorts, cropped tops, and even some mini-skirts seemed to pop up at the pyramids and all of the major temples I visited. I cringed inwardly as I watched these young women walk by, especially as I noticed the looks that they received from the Egyptians; both men and women.
Curious, I ended up asking my favourite tour guide, Abdul, how he felt as a local man to see women dressing provocatively.
“Honestly?” he told me, “Sure, go ahead. We don’t get to see that so it’s nice to look”. I had to laugh a little with him about that. After spending five days in his company and seeing him interact with both local women and tourists, I knew Abdul was a good one. He was kind, respectful, and not at all threatening. Despite passing several scantily dressed women, he never leered or lingered; he was a gentleman. However, he did admit that some women took it too far and that bothered him, especially at the ancient temples which, while no longer used for religion, are still sacred sites.
While Abdul may have been more progressive in his thoughts, not everyone was. In Cairo my brother and I had coffee with a couple of local men, one of which was quick to share his distaste for local women embracing more modern styles. He sneered as he spoke about them wearing jeans and makeup, unhappily claiming that Egypt has changed too much in the past five years. I have to admit, his anger made me uncomfortable, and if he was that put off by the local women in Cairo wearing eyeliner and jeans, I can’t imagine how he would treat the women dressed in more revealing outfits.
Needless to say, I felt good about my decision to go with a more conservative wardrobe for my visit. I didn’t end up covering my hair, but I never felt uncomfortable and even had a few positive comments from locals on my outfits. So, for any other women looking for inspiration on what to wear in Egypt to feel both comfortable and respectful, here’s what I recommend.
What to Wear in Egypt as a Woman: Summary
If you are just looking for the quick-and-dirty on Egypt packing tips there here are my top tips on how to dress in Egypt:
- You do not have to cover your hair in Egypt
- Capris and skirts that show your ankles are ok in Egypt
- You do not have to wear baggy clothing in Egypt, but balance things out. If you wear skinny jeans or tighter pants, pair them with a looser (long) top.
- Layers will help in the evening, but lightweight and breathable clothing is best for the daytime.
- Be careful with flowy skirts and dresses- it gets very windy in the desert! Go for maxi lengths.
- Don’t show your cleavage. Try to cover shoulders as much as possible as well in Egypt.
- Bring comfortable walking shoes. The sand is hot and difficult to walk in sandals or flip-flops.
Looking for some Egypt outfit inspiration based on my experiences? Read on for more on my thoughts of what to wear in Egypt as a woman.
What to Pack for Egypt: T-Shirts over Tank Tops
Egypt can be really hot, especially as you go further south to places like Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel. These places, however, are even more traditional than Cairo so skip the tank tops and wear a light t-shirt instead. You don’t need long sleeves, just make sure your shoulders are covered and that it’s not low cut; cleavage is a big no-no. ( My favourite travel t-shirt is the evolve top by encircled which washes and wears amazingly and can be styled in different ways.)
If you do wear a tank top (I brought two with me) wear something over it. A light sweater will do the trick (though it’s probably cooler just to wear the t-shirt, trust me) or a gauzy wrap to keep your shoulders covered.
One of my favourite tops for this trip was the Butterfly Wrap by Diane Kroe in the chiffon material. It was loose, light, and airy and kept me cool while exploring ruins in the hot summer sun. It also worked perfectly when I hit the beach in Dahab as a cover-up.
*Save $10 off your Diane Kroe order with promo code HANNAH10
What to Wear in Egypt? Sundresses with Leggings or Maxi Dresses
Sundresses are pretty common on women’s packing list, and there’s no reason why you can’t bring your favourite cute dress with you to Egypt; as long as you make it appropriate. Again, remember that your knees, shoulders, and chest need to be covered. This might mean wearing a light pair of leggings under your dress or adding a lightweight sweater, jacket, or scarf to cover your shoulders.
I got a ton of compliments on my Marie Dress (jet set print) from Cherry Velvet. The zipped front meant I could have a higher neckline and the t-shirt style meant my shoulders were covered. I just wore a pair of black leggings underneath and voila! I was comfortable, cool, and appropriately covered. I even got a couple compliments from Egyptian women about how much they loved my outfit.
Maxi dresses and skirts are a good idea too, and may be cooler than pairing shorter dresses with leggings. Look for styles with ankle-length skirts and t-shirt type tops to be appropriately covered (something like this one). You could also do maxi skirts like this or, if you want something dressier (especially if you plan on taking a lot of photos) you might like something long and flowy like this one.
Bonus tip: Egypt can be quite breezy, especially out in the desert so be careful about shorter flowy skirts and dresses. Even mine blew up a few times making me extra grateful for my leggings underneath.
What to Wear in Egypt: Loose Pants
When it came to bottoms, I alternated between two pairs of loose pants. One of which was the baggy elephant style pant that’s so popular in Southeast Asia, the other just a wide leg black pant. Again, they were light and airy, didn’t hug my curves, and were super comfortable. If you don’t have a pair, you can order some elephant style ones online here or some wide-leg pants here.
I should also point out that neither quite covered my ankles (hooray for being tall) but that was never an issue. A couple times I even hiked the elephant pants, which had elasticized hems, up to just under my knees to make them more of a capri style rather than full long pants, it was not an issue. I think as long as your knees are covered and the focus isn’t on your booty, you will be fine.
What to Wear in Egypt: Jeans & Tighter Pants
Since we spent a day exploring Toronto before flying to Egypt, I did end up bringing a pair of skinny jeans with me. Though, to be honest, I didn’t expect I would wear them; assuming they would be too tight and show off my ‘assets’ too much to be considered appropriate. However, I quickly found out that jeans, even skinny jeans, are ok in Egypt; so long as you have a longer top to pair with them, like this one. Many of the young local girls paired their skinny jeans with longer sleeved tunic-type tops that covered their bums. I made sure to follow in their lead, pairing my jeans with longer, loose tops, and felt totally comfortable walking around. That being said, I saved them for the evening when it was cooler because it was way too hot for me to even consider jeans during the day.
If you plan on being active, I suggest lululemon leggings. My absolute favourite leggings are the invigorate tights or Wunder Train which don’t slide down and they aren’t see through. Since this is Egypt, wear a longer shirt so that covers your bum. But these are my go-to travel leggings and I recommend them to everyone.
For more of my favourite clothing brands as a curvy traveller check out this post.
Do I Have to Cover my Hair in Egypt?
This was another question I really worried about but the answer is no. Female visitors are not expected to cover their hair. That being said, if you want to, you can. Just make sure to do it in a respectful way, not just to be fashionable.
Personally, I chose not to cover my hair in Egypt and had no major issues. After all, hiding my light hair isn’t going to camouflage the fact that I am clearly a tourist. I did make sure to keep my hair up though either in a ponytail, bun, or braid rather than wearing it down. Might be just me, but I thought that was a little more respectful.
I do want to mention that I did meet a couple women who were very blonde which got them a lot of extra unwanted attention to the point where a few people just reached out to touch their hair. If this is the case, you may want to cover your hair for your own comfort.
What to Wear in Egypt: Helpful Accessories
While not necessary, I do recommend adding a couple of these accessories to your Egypt packing list to make travelling through Egypt a bit easier and to make you feel a little more comfortable and conservative in your dress.
- Lightweight travel scarf with pocket– covers cleavage/shoulders, especially if you go to a mosque. Also ideal for storing some money etc. Especially great for travel days.
- Rashguard– if you are going to be hitting up Egypt’s beaches, rashguards are a great pick to not only help ward off the sun (nobody wants to burn on vacation!) but also to cover up a bit more. Check my list of inclusive swimwear brands that I love.
- Reef safe Sunscreen: Egypt has some gorgeous coral reefs so if you plan on being in the water please use a reef safe sunscreen to help protect the reefs and marine life.
- Anti-chafing balm: For those of us who suffer from the dreaded chub rub!
- Sunglasses: Not only to protect your eyes but dark sunglasses can also be helpful in avoiding unwanted attention.
- I also recommend packing a few different type of shoes. Sandals or flip-flops area great at the beach but you will want closed toe shoes for the desert!
- Towel: Especially if you have a visit to the beach planned. I recommend these quick-dry ones for travel.
Final Considerations for Your Egypt Packing List
Having travelled to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, and Dahab, I felt like the clothing differed in each area, and what I wore depended on what I was doing. Being with a tour guide at the temples or on the Nile River cruise which was filled with other tourists was a bit less stressful than walking around local streets and neighbourhoods. I felt more conscious of being covered up during these times and though I didn’t bring any really tight clothing, I chose the loosest of my tops for the times I spent exploring the cities.
Dahab; a laid-back beach town on the Red Sea, was by far the most liberal when it came to deciding what to wear. Since I went for scuba diving, I always had a swimsuit on but I wouldn’t dream about walking around in that alone, and nor did anyone else. That being said I, and many others, wore shorts and tank tops over their swimwear while going to the beach, or walking along the main areas. While at the beach, bikinis were fine; though I did notice many women throwing a sundress or cover-up on over them once out of the water. Perhaps not necessary, but definitely a more comfortable option. If you are staying at one of Egypts seaside resorts, it’s more common to just walk around the pool area in your swimwear.
Finally, I feel like it’s important to note that I did travel with a man. I’ve heard mixed reviews on solo female travel in Egypt and while I had an amazing time, I know the fact that I had my brother with me did play a role. However, at the end of the day, whether you are travelling alone, with a man, or with other women, the most important thing to remember is to be respectful the local culture (it is a conservative country) and mindful of your own personal comfort level when considering what to wear in Egypt.
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Love this! Hopefully going there this year and was actually worrying about this exact thing!
Haha I totally understand! I’m glad this helps though!
[…] and my knees are covered but you can see my ankles. I try to think back to everything I read about how to dress in Egypt, were ankles ok? Unsure, I tug my pants a bit lower on my hips to add a little length. It will have […]
[…] Travellers to Egypt need to pack smart, especially the women. Egypt is hot, and can be roasting during the day. But, you also need to be respectful and cover up. I wrote a packing guide to Egypt for women with suggestions on what to bring based on what worked we… […]
When you went to Egypt, did you go with a tour group or did you plan the trip yourself? My husband and I are thinking of going and a lot of people suggest booking the trip with a tour group. We’ve traveled all over the world and we think we’ll be able to plan the trip and go just us two. What do you think? Thanks!
I planned our trip myself 🙂 I have a blog post on our itinerary and what we did if you check through my other Egypt content. It was easy enough! I do recommend a Nile River cruise though- it was the highlight.
Thank you so much my husband and I are going to Egypt for our honeymoon and I was worried about this exact issue! Super helpful!!!
yay! so glad to help. Have an amazing honeymoon!!
Heading to Egypt in January and thinking about wardrobe. We are traveling in cooler weather so am planning loose pants and tunics that cover my bum. I had read that it was also good to cover elbows so have been looking for 3/4 sleeves but notice that you are often showing yours. Not an issue?
Nope! T-shirts were fine. As I say, I don’t recommend tank tops since shoulders should be covered but I had no issues with t-shirt length sleeves
How did you find your tour guide? I am traveling to Egypt with a group of people (men and women) but have read so many blogs where people recommend getting a tour guide to lessen harassment,
I used a few different guides. All were good, some better than others. I definitely agree that when we did have a guide, the locals didn’t try to sell us as much and, obviously, didn’t offer their guiding services. I recommend Get Your Guide if you are looking- that’s what I used to book in advance to make sure I got a REAL guide. Quite affordable too!
Okay, awesome! I will definitely look into that. Thank you for the quick reply 🙂
Thank you so much this is extremely helpful! Thanks for putting in all the links too. A scarf with a pocket?! That is something I would’ve NEVER thought of!
It was definitely something I stressed over before I went so I’m glad other people are finding it helpful!
Thank you so much, I read various tripadvisor / lonely planet guides on what to wear as a woman and still had questions like ‘Are t-shirts long sleeved enough? Can I show my ankles by wearing cropped trousers? Will jeans be okay?’ and this answered all of them! This is the difference of getting real advice from a woman who was personally been, lived and seen. Thank you! Feeling much more relaxed about my trip and like I can at least leave the tags on some of the more conservative items I purchased just-in-case. Thanks!
Ugh I get you, girl, I had the exact same questions before I went. I’m so glad I helped you too!
I’ll be visiting Egypt, in the late Spring, with my Egyptian boyfriend. We’re planning to visit his parents & family, as well as doing some sightseeing.
I’d rather err on the conservative side, although they appear to be very laidback.
Could you please advise me re: clothing and polite behavior? I’m not certain of the customs in Egypt, and don’t want to offend anyone. I also don’t speak any Arabic.
Should I offer with cooking, cleaning, and other household chores? I know, of course, that we will be staying in separate bedrooms. Is hugging or holding hands considered inappropriate at all time?
Any advice that you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Anne
Hi Anne,
I think if you follow the tips in this post in terms of clothing you’ll be good. As for behaviour- all I can say is public displays of attention seem to be a no-no. I didn’t see any among the local while I was there- not even hand holding. As for the rest I’m not sure- you’re best to ask your boyfriend for some tips on local customs.
[…] to have longer tops that covered past my elbows for certain places. Thanks to last year’s trip to Egypt, I knew how to dress conservatively but that was only for a part of Israel. The rest of Israel was […]
Hi Hannah
Just wondering about colors to wear. I had read that they prefer you not to wear too many bright colors together ? Obviously it was not an issue with your beautiful wrap.
Cheers
I had no problems wearing colours!
These are fantastic tips! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I will be traveling with my husband in a few months – since you traveled with your brother, any tips on what to pack for men? What was comfortable for him to wear both from a cultural and weather perspective? Appreciate any insight you can share!
Hey Samantha,
My brother wore cargo shorts and tshirts/polo shirts most of the trip. He did bring jeans for evening while it was cooler, then wore board shorts at the beach. I think the guys have it easier than women!
Ok, good to know! Thank you for the quick reply. I know what I pack is going to take a little more thought, but he seems pretty happy to know he doesn’t need to buy anything special. Great content on your sight – appreciate you sharing! Samantha
Thanks Samantha! I hope you have an amazing trip!
Thank you for these amazing tips. I’ll be headed to Egypt next month and have repacked numerous times to ensure I’m mindful of the culture. Your tips have really helped me narrow down my things to pack.
glad to help!
Any issues with showing painted toenails from a modesty perspective? I’ve heard that dirt and dust is a concern, but I can’t find any mentions about bare toes offending anyone’s dress code expectations.
I had a pedicure and no problem. But I only wore flipflops on the ship and by the beach- not in the city so I’m no expert on that.
Can you tell me how cold it gets at night? I’m travelling in May this year and wonder if I should bring a jumper with me? Thanks for the other suggestions, I was a bit concerned about Capri pants, but you’ve sorted that for me.
It depends on the season. I was there in November which is winter so it was a little cooler at night so I brought a sweater with me- nothing too heavy though.
Any tips for 4 70 something women on how to dress, colors, sleeve lengths, skirts (over the knee?), pants? Are Capris okay?
All my tips in this post apply to any age 🙂
Hey Hannah, thank you so much for the invaluable info – you answered a lot of questions that I have! I am traveling to Egypt 10-26-19 thru 11-04-19 – what dates were you there in November and what was the high temperature during the day (sorry if you already answered)? I am sure that I will have more questions as it gets closer to departure and will definitely use you as a resource! Have a great day beautiful!?
Glad to help! I was there mid November for 2 weeks. Temperature really depended on where we were but it did get quite warm in most places 25C+ – Abu Simbel was REALLY Hot. Nights were cooler though so you will want a light sweater.
I am leaving in 1 week for 2 months in Europe and 1 month in Egypt and living out of a bag for that amount of time means you really have to choose wisely. Coming from Australia with a German background means I am used to a very different level of what is accepted and what is not. When I think about it there isn’t really anything that is not accepted where I come from.
Your post has helped me so much as a young blonde woman travelling to Egypt and all the sceptical and positive comments and blogs you can read about Egypt can just leave you confused.
This is truly the best insight I have had and matches my thoughts exactly where you need to be cautious but not to extreme lengths where you still can’t look nice in your travel memories!
Thank you so much!!
You are going to have THE BEST time!! Im so excited for you and glad I could help!
[…] I’d already been to Egypt and Jordan, which are also Muslim countries, and was comfortable with my clothing choices there so […]
This is very helpful, thank you! Next week I’m traveling with a group to spend 3 days in Cairo then diving the Red Sea.
I have been concerned about being respectful in my attire, although, as a 61 year old woman I have left very short skirts and shorts in the past. Did you happen to notice if there were different expectations of older women such as head coverings at most times, dresses/skirts vs. pants. Etc.
Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated.
Thank you
Glad to help 🙂
More tourists dressed the same- very few tourists covered their heads with anything other than a hat in the desert to protect against the sun. Keep your shoulders/chest/knees covered and you will be just fine 🙂
This was very helpful. I’m going next week. I have three questions.
1) Did all the places expect you to use mostly cash or could you use a credit card?
2) Did you have any stomach issues? Sorry if that is too personal. One or two people mentioned issues with diarrhea.
3) The hotel I’m staying in has a swimming pool. How did they feel about women being there in swimsuits?
Thank you!
Hi!
So you will definitely need cash. Credit card is not accepted anywhere. USD dollars are accepted or Egyptian pounds.
I did have stomach issues at the end. I drank a frozen drink and I think it wasn’t filtered water for the ice cubes. I was fine with the actual food.
If your hotel has a pool, you should be fine in a swim suit! It’s geared towards tourists and there for you to use 🙂
Oh no! I hope your stomach issues weren’t too bad. I’m vegetarian so I think my stomach is a little more sensitive. I will definitely watch what I eat and drink and bring some backup meds. Thank you. 4 days to go!
I’ve been sicker, and it was at the end so didn’t ruin the trip (just an unhappy flight home). Just avoid ice cubes, haha. I hope you have the BEST time!
thank you for the great pictures and the information.. good travels to you
Hope they came in handy!
Hi, Hannah. Thank You so very much for this information…GREAT stuff!!! Thanx also for the travel insurance recommendation. I just signed up for it, only $45.60. WOW. Bless Your Heart. I’m so glad I came across Your information. Blessings Flow ~
Glad to help 🙂
Is leggings okay to wear with long loose t-shirts? Im not sure if I missed the info, but just wondering since it seems cooler than jeans to wear in the heat
If it comes down to like mid-thigh I would say yes. Like a tunic-type spot. But if your butt is pretty visible in tight leggings you will most likely get some unwanted attention. If you are worried about heat, look for some loose, light-weight pants.
Hi. I enjoyed reading all about this trip. We are grandparents and are taking our grandson to Egypt with us this June.
Can you advise on the best insurance for expensive flights? Thank you in advance.
Hi Lisa,
So I’m not sure where you are located to offer insurance advise. I personally use Safety Wing which I link to in many of my blog posts, they best suit my needs and lifestyle. However, for flights specifically you might also want to look into some travel credit cards as many of them offer coverage for flights as long as you buy the flight with the credit card. Worth looking into.